


Life In A Monarchy (Lily/James)

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-17
Updated: 2008-06-20
Packaged: 2019-01-19 20:34:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12417660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: James Potter, Crown Prince, about to be betrothed to a noblewoman; Lily Evans, a horse trainer's daughter, set to be married to another commoner; how could their fates ever become entwined? A Lily James romance set in the late 16th to early 17th century (AU, NOT non-magic).





	1. The Evans

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

The Evans had been the best horse breeders in the kingdom for generations past. No other horses could match theirs, not in appearance, nor in quality. Nobles from all over the kingdom insisted their stables had horses from them. And the reputation was nothing if not well deserved. The Evans’ household started their day at 5 am, finishing only at 11pm. The long days were devoted completely to the care of their horses.

It was therefore no surprise when the Royal messenger knocked on their door a month before the young Prince’s twentieth birthday, informing them that the prince and some other courtiers would be arriving to see some horses for their stables. Nevertheless, the excitement in the household was almost tangible, after all, it wasn’t everyday that they got a visit from the prince himself.

“Lily! Hurry up and get down here! Come, I have something to tell you!” Albin Evans was shouting up the stairs to his daughter.

“I'm coming father, I’m coming!” Lily replied, hurrying to see what her father was so excited about. “What is it? Please tell me Petunia is not coming back…”

“Be respectful, Lily, she’s your sister.” Her father chastised, without much conviction. “But no, she’s not coming back.” He continued, with an audible sigh of relief.

“Then what’s the big news father?” she asked, thanking her lucky stars Petunia wasn’t returning.

“It’s the prince, Lily, he’s coming here!” her mother answered. “To choose a horse, in two weeks! We haven’t much time, we must prepare everything, it _has_ to be presentable. And the house looks like a ruin, we can’t have the prince see it like that! Our reputation would be…”

Lily ignored her mother’s ranting and looked at her father for confirmation.

“I think your mother might need some calming draught or she would be a nervous wreck by the time the prince arrives.” He replied, his eyes twinkling.

“No!” Lily exclaimed, unable to believe it. “Really? You mean the prince is actually going to be here? Here, at our house? To actually-”

“Yes, darling, now stop babbling like your mother and try and get the horses ready, we only have two weeks. We must find the best in the lot and get them trained and ready before he arrives.” Her father replied, resuming the role of her stern mentor. “Oh, and for goodness’ sake put Lillith somewhere solitary so she doesn’t spook the other horses…or the prince!”

Lily raced out to the stables, too excited to reply. All the girls in town talked constantly of how handsome and charming the prince apparently was. None of them had seen him, of course, but that didn’t stop them gossiping. But now, he was coming to her house and she was going to see him, in the flesh! But that wasn’t nearly as exciting as knowing that he was coming to buy some of _her_ horses, something she had put so much effort into. She and her father had trained those horses since they were born, putting in everything they had. Of  course, they had sold horses to other noblemen, but the prince was just a whole level above that wasn’t he? And to think she would get to show off her work in front of the second most powerful man in the kingdom!

Lily yelled at Augustus to help her move Lillith to a stall in the old stables to keep her away from the other horses. She had always thought that her father had named their most notorious horse after her, not that her father would actually admit it. She thought it was a bit unfair, especially considering she wasn’t notorious at all. If anything, the mare should've been named Petunia, she thought, after all, it was her who hadn’t followed in her father’s footsteps. Unlike Lily, she hated working with the horses, she thought it was a man’s work, not for a lady 

“Oh no! We just moved her here last week!” Augustus said as soon as he was within Lily’s hearing range. “If we move her now, she won’t settle for days!”

“Gus, the PRINCE is coming here, everything has to be absolutely perfect!” Lily replied, looking more excited than ever before. “And besides, she’s just a horse, if you can’t handle a horse you shouldn’t have become a stable hand!”

Gus finally agreed and, with a slight ‘Hmph’, helped her move the large mare. When they returned, her father was already there and was looking for the best of the horses. Lily and Augustus set to helping him find the horses for the prince and his entrouge, even though Lillith was the best horse in Lily’s eyes. But they couldn’t sell her to the prince, of course, because she and her father were the only ones able to ride her.

Two weeks later, they were all set. The horses had been scrubbed and scrubbed and then some and looked magnificent. Lily herself was wearing her best riding dress, while her father was wearing his breeches and tunic. Her mother, as it happened, _had_ turned into a nervous wreck and had decided to rest rather than greet the prince. Of course, this ended up worrying her even more, as she didn’t want to seem rude to the prince. She couldn’t seem to decide until the last moment and then Lily had to ‘help’ her with some rather… ‘strong’ calming draught.

 

_(Author's Note: first - the disclaimer: anything you don't recognise is from my own imagination. Also, the plot isn't very original, but its still mine. And, this fic is, obviously, very completely AU, so ye, it may not be everyone's thing, i know, but you've been warned!_

_Now to the fic:_

_Augustus isn't a stable hand at all, he's training at the Evans house so that he can be knighted when he's old enough. Also, Lily isn't in love with James [or anyone at all], she's just heard a lot about him. In fact, she thinks he’s just the medieval equivalent of a rich party boy with no values...yeah...so that's all for now...but I'm definetely updating soon)_

_PS - Love it? Hate it? Some 'crick' in my writing? let me know!!! REVIEW!!! I'll give you an internet cookie if u do!!!!_


	2. The Royal Visit

“So, she’s coming then.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement.

“Sirius, I’ve told you a thousand times before and I’m telling you again – I have no choice in this!” replied the prince, sighing.

“Of course. After all, you’re only the crown prince, heir to the throne. Why would you have any choice!” replied an exasperated Sirius.

“James, there’s no point in bothering with him when he wants to act like a five year old.” Their friend, Remus, cut in before they could argue any more.

“Don’t act like you don’t care, Remus! You hate her just as much as I do!” was the threatening whisper from Sirius.

“Yes, but I don’t show it all the time, maybe you should try that too, at least in front of him. He has to marry her, imagine how _he_ feels.”

James sighed and let his eyes wander. He’d heard this argument many times before and it was always the same. His friends didn’t like the woman he would soon be betrothed to. He didn’t much like Cecilia De Lewes either, but it wasn’t something he could do anything about. Out of all the women he’d been forced to meet, Cecilia was the one from the richest, most influential family. Her father had practically sent a proposal and refusing would be very epitome of ‘tactless’, not something the royal family would willingly do. He was brought back to the present by the arrival of a carriage, which would undoubtedly be carrying the woman his friends were plotting the death of.

“Look,” he cut into his friends’ argument before Cecelia reached them, “I just need you to be civil to her, especially since we’ll be in public. Just when we’re in public, please.”

“My Lord! It has been far too long!” Cecelia said in her sing song voice.

“My lady, it is a pleasure, as always.” James replied, making sure to keep his voice pleasant, and kissed the hand she’d offered.

The Lady De Lewes turned to greet the others and James again let his mind wander again. He looked at her, knowing she was beautiful. She could even have an interesting conversation every once in a while. As far as prospective brides went, he wasn’t faring too badly, in fact, he knew many men would even be envious of him. Seeing them boarding a carriage, he quickly came out of his reverie and followed them.

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The page* came in looking flustered and seemed to take a breath to calm him down.

“Announcing, His Highness James Rónán Potter, Prince of Wales; Lady Cecelia Isabel Marguerite De Lewes; Sirius Black, Lord of Oldham; Remus Lupin, Count of Toulouse with the royal attendants.” He managed to announce without any major faults.

Lily’s father brushed his coat off and stood up, beckoning Lily to do the same. She was very excited at the prospect of showing off their horses to royals, but she was nervous as well. All the training she and her father had given the horses would be judged today.

“Your Highness,” said Mr. Evans, bowing down in front of the prince, as Lily followed his example and curtsied.

“Mr Evans, I have heard nothing but praise for you, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The prince replied courteously. “And you, Miss Evans.”

“I assure you, My Lord, the pleasure is all mine.” Lily’s father said before turning to Lady Cecelia De Lewes and kissing her offered hand. “My Lady. Sirs.” He added, bowing before the Lord of Oldham and the Count.

However, the Lord of Oldham and the Count of Toulouse shook off the formality and took his hand to shake. Lily was a little surprised at this as she had never seen noblemen being anything less than reserved with commoners, but it seemed they knew her father, as she soon found out.

“Mr Evans, I must thank you for Dinos **(A/N: which means ‘the Marvel’)** , she is a real jewel. Unbeatable, it seems.” The Lord of Oldham was saying.

“And she hasn’t even reached her peak yet, wait for a year or two and you’ll be amazed. She wasn’t named Dinos for nothing, My Lord.”

“Mr. Evans, if your horses are half as good as Sirius tells me, then I doubt I'll see another horse breeder again.” The prince said, joining in the conversation.

“Your Highness, the standard seems to have been set high! I hope I will not disappoint.” Mr Evans replied, turning slightly pink at the compliment. “Shall we see the horses right away then?”

There was a general murmur of agreement and the party moved to the stables to inspect the horses.

The prince politely waited through the demonstrations but seemed to favour two horses in particular, Aeton **(A/N: ‘swift as an eagle’)** and Shadowless (a stallion and a mare). This seemed peculiar to Lily who had thought the prince would want a palfrey, but he had instead leaned towards the destriers.  Far as she knew, the prince was not part of the cavalry and should have no use for a destrier, unless, perhaps it was to show off his lack of value for money, which she didn’t think would be too improbable.

The Lord of Oldham also seemed to have taken a liking to a war-horse, although it was a rouncey (“I already have far too many of your destriers, Mr Evans, perhaps its time to try something new…”). The count and Lady de Lewes decided to leave the buying of horses to their marshal who would undoubtedly know more about the animals than them.

The royal attendants took care of the purchases while the party retired to the Evans’ living rooms for tea before leaving. The Count and the Lord of Oldham, as well as Lily’s father, seemed have enough anecdotes about horses and their masters to keep them all entertained for quite a while before it was time to leave. The good-byes were said and the party started to climb into their carriages when the prince turned to the Evans one last time.

“Mr Evans, it was a real pleasure being here, I do hope you and your family are able to attend the Ball.” he said to Lily’s father before turning to her. “And you too, Miss Evans, I hope you shall save me a dance for the Ball.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Lily replied, blushing slightly. “Although I rather think I shall see you before the Ball.”

“Oh, well that would be wonderful.” said the prince, looking slightly surprised that she hadn’t erupted in giggles at his request. “Will you be coming by the palace then?”

“Oh, no…Well, I mean, yes, if that is your wish My Lord, but I was talking about the tournaments.” came the flustered reply.

“You are not participating in the tournaments, are you?” the prince asked, cautious as ever.

“No, Your Highness.” her father replied for her. “My family and I are attending the tournament. We have two of our riders participating in it, so we shall be going to support them.”

“Ah! Then they will be competing against me? Now I feel compelled to make a wager Mr. Evans!” said the prince, full of enthusiasm.

“Oh I couldn’t possibly bet against you, My Lord! I fear I would be called a traitor!” her father laughed.

The prince laughed along but wasn’t to be shaken, it seemed he wouldn’t give in until he had gotten a wager.

“What about you, Miss Evans? Will you be willing to put your money where your mouth is? So to speak, I mean…”

Lily had never been one to run away from a challenge, that was one of the things her father had, unsuccessfully, tried to cure her of. She didn’t care that it wasn’t very ladylike to be making wagers with the prince, because she had trained one of their riders and knew how good he was.

“Name your terms, My Lord.”

“If both your riders lose to me, you shall…well, lets say you shall owe me a favour.” replied the prince, sounding positively gleeful. “And if I lose to any one of your riders, which I assure you I won’t, then I will owe you a favour. Do we have an agreement, My lady?”

“We do, My Lord, and may the best man win.”

As soon as the prince had left, her father turned to her with a stern look on her face. Lily thought she knew what would follow, and follow it did. Her father seemed almost livid, even though Lily knew he wasn’t, that she had made a bet against the Crown Prince of England, which, according to him, was ‘hardly a sane thing to do’. He went on to repeat what he had already told her before – not to get caught up in the moment and make regrettable wagers with Crown Princes, not to get caught up in the moment and do regrettable things, and perhaps, just try not to get caught up in the moment at all. Lily listened to it all patiently, knowing she was in the wrong. But the prince had challenged her and she couldn’t have just let that go! Not to mention that she knew how good Augustus was, because she had trained him herself, there was no chance for the prince, no matter how good he was rumoured to be.

 

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_Author's Note: First of all, a big thank you to both my reviewers! I'm glad you like it. And also, patience is a virtue...coz usually im a really slow updater..._

_Also, same disclaimer as before, but i have to add something - if you think you've read something like this before, you probably have, 'coz for the first couple of chapters i'm pretty much keeping the basic details from this other fic i read somewhere. So, a thanx goes to the author of that fic too, but unfortunately i don't remember who it was...BUT, after the first chapter, the whole storyline is completely mine._

_And the story-_

_*A page was like a really lowly servant in a household who’d sort of ‘run errands’ and stuff, but he was also like an 'apprentice knight'._

_And for people who, like me, don't know anything about horses-_

_Destriers - the expensive big war horses._

_Palfreys - normal riding horses used by rich noblemen_

_Marshal - guy in charge of a household's stable._

_And again - Reviews!!! Don't forget!!_


	3. The Conversation

“Making wagers with commoners? Why James, you need to watch yourself before you turn into me.”

James just ignored his best friend and turned back to look out the window.

“You didn’t really make a wager with…them, did you James?” Lady de Lewes asked, slightly hesitant.

“I did, as a matter of fact, My Lady.”

“What will everyone say! James, they’re commoners!” The Lady said, looking dismayed.

“Yes, but they are also decent people, My Lady, and I would ask you not to judge them without knowing them first.” said James in a flat tone.

The Lady Cecelia chose not to say anything else while the men started talking about James’ bet and the upcoming tournament.

“So,” Remus started with a slight cough, “what was the bet about?”

“Miss Evans seems to think that one of their riders shall best me in the tournament. I was just setting straight the record.”

“Ah, well I wouldn’t get too…cocky just yet; the Evans riders have always been some of the best in the past years.” 

“That may be, Remus, but I have been _the_ best in the _all_ the past years.” James replied with a smirk.

“Perhaps, but this year, mate, is the year you lose. Your horses may be good in battles but they haven’t had any training for tournaments. While I, on the other hand, have trained near a year and there is no way that I will lose.” Sirius ranted glad that the matter of the tournament had come up.

“I’m afraid I'll have to side with Sirius on this one, James, he’s had more training in _one_ month than you have for the last _six_. Seems I'll be betting against you this time.” Remus agreed.

“What? And my best friends won’t let me win _on my birthday_? Why, if there was ever a tragedy, this is it!” replied James, laughing along with his friends.

“Tragedy? This? Oh no no no, tragedy is what will happen on your birthday, Your Highness.” said Sirius, adding a mock bow to the performance.

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To celebrate the Prince’s twentieth birthday, riding tournaments were to be held in the capital followed by a Celebration Ball in the evening. Riders from all around the kingdom had come to London to take part in one of the most prestigious tournaments and were hoping to win. Augustus Attford and Nicholas Dawson had been entering the tournaments on part of the Evans household for a number of years and were highly competent riders, even if they had never been able to win against the prince. Nicholas had started training in horseback riding and warfare at the Evans household ever since he turned fifteen while Augustus had been training at the Evans’ soon after turning ten. 

The Evans’ relentless training schedule had been paying off lately, with the two riders coming closer and closer to winning in the past couple of years. But they were both on different levels and needed individual attention. Mr Evans alone was not able to provide this and so Augustus was partly trained by Lily, who had herself undergone the rigorous training ever since she was able to walk. Augustus had had doubts about this arrangement but after a while he and Lily got into the rhythm and were just as good as Nicholas, who was trained by Mr Evans.

But all this training would be for nought if they did not perform well at the riding tournaments, which was their best chance to be recruited by the cavalry. For this reason, both the riders were being put through their paces before the tournaments. Augustus more than Nicholas, because of Lily’s wager against the prince. After finishing the training on the eve of the prince’s birthday, Augustus could be heard moaning and complaining to Lily as they headed back from the grounds.

“You know, it is a pity you are a woman,” he groaned, “because if you were a man you could train _yourself_ for the tournaments, and then you’d know how rigid your training schedule actually is.” 

“Oh stop being so…feminine, besides, the horse is doing most of the work, all you’re doing is sitting fatly on it.”

“Why you little—, if you weren’t a woman and if I had the energy to hit you, you would be lying on the ground right now for that little wisecrack!”

“Yes, but right now you are going to conserve that energy for that tournament tomorrow, because if you lose, you shall regret the day you were born.” Lily said, stepping into the role of a trainer. “And do try to keep your limbs attached, because otherwise it would be quite an inconvenience when we get married.”

“I BEG your PARDON??” Augustus exploded after a few seconds of stunned silence. “Since when are we getting _married_?”

“Augustus, do try to keep up with the times!” replied an exhausted Lily, “They have been planning our wedding ever since you moved here and I’m well aware that both our parents have talked to you about it, since you are the ‘man’ in the ‘relationship’.”

“How could you possibly know about that?”

“Its like they say, ‘the walls have ears’.”

“You were eavesdropping!!” he said, stunned that she would do such a thing.

“You can’t call it eavesdropping! If anything, I was merely inviting myself to a conversation that seemed, in its entirety, to be about me! It was only fair that I be there.” defended Lily.

For a few moments, Augustus didn’t quite know how to react but quickly recovered from his shock and decided to take the tactical approach.

“Well…so you know…that the...uh…Celebration Ball is to be…our first…” he choked out, looking almost mortified.

“Outing, yes, I know, and that you are to ask me to dance the last dance with you.” She stated matter-of-factly.

For a moment, both of them remained silent, not knowing what to say.

“I think you would make a horrible wife, Lily.” Augustus said smugly, having recovered from shock and embarrassment.

“Yes, well, I shall be ten times worse if you lose that tournament tomorrow, just you remember that.” Lily replied, taking the mock offence with stateliness.

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_(Author's Note: Same old disclaimer..._

_The story so far... well, this one has a little bit of background on Augustus (as well as Nicholas) and some hints about the future too..._

_Also, in this chapter, I feel that Lily kindda seems like that girl from 'Importance of Being Ernest', you know the one who...er...had an 'imaginery' relationship with Algernon. Anyways, she's only like that in this chapter, I definetely don't plan on having a 'Crazy Lily' in my fic :) Oh, n, tournament coming up in the next chapter!!_

_So that's all for now)_

_And, of course, to my reviewers, thanx a lot everyone, u guys are the best!!_

_And on that note, REVIEWS!!!!!!! Don't Forget!!!! (cookie offer still on [as soon as i find 'em lolz])_


	4. The Jousting

On the day of the tournament, the excitement and nervousness in the air were palpable. All the riders were nervous, as were their trainers. While the men were occupied with their horses, the women were hoping to attract a prospective husband and were dressed in their finest finery. However, out of all the women present at the tournaments, the most stunning, perhaps, was the Lady Cecelia Isabel Marguerite De Lewes, who, after all, was looking for a husband in no one less than the Crown Prince. The competition was just as fierce among the women as it was among the riders, everyone wanted to find a rich husband and settle down and not have a thing to worry about later.

 

Lily, however, had more important things to worry about and was on the grounds, the only one of the fairer sex there. She was giving Augustus some last minute suggestions, just like most of the other trainers. But Lily had more on the line – her bet with the Prince. If Augustus lost to the Prince, she felt she would be shamed for life, and therefore, it was vitally important that he win. She was only now starting to doubt her faith in the young man before her, after all, the Prince had done this a lot of times, how could anyone defeat him? She was even desperate enough to promise Augustus things she would never normally have agreed to (even to cut him some slack in his training!) if he won the tournament.

 

The tournament was split up in three parts. The first part was to be a jousting contest; with the theory being that only the strongest would survive, thus eliminating the weaker competition. It was indeed the most taxing match in the tournament, requiring not just brute strength but also remarkable horsemanship and concentration. Lily didn’t know much about Nicholas Dawson, but jousting wasn’t one of Augustus’ strengths. He wasn’t completely useless at it either though, and he was certainly capable enough to get through it. 

Soon the trumpets sounded to signal the official start of the tournaments and Lily hurried back to the stands, wishing Augustus the best of luck one last time. Once the trumpet calls had finished, the King himself stood up to address the riders and the spectators, but Lily was unable to decipher a single word of it as the racket surrounding her drowned it all out. But it didn’t matter as she had been coming to the tournaments ever since she was a little girl and almost had the King’s speech memorised. 

 

Once the King had sat down and raised his hand as a signal to start, the ruckus around Lily seemed to increase ten times. The first couple of riders stepped forward, bowing first to each other and then to the spectators, showing off the flamboyant costumes and armour of both their horses and themselves. As soon as they took their positions on the opposite sides of the grounds and readied their lances, the crowd fell silent in anticipation. But Lily knew from experience that this was the calm before a storm. And sure enough, there was an explosion of sound, from both the gentlemen and the ladies, as the horsemen raced towards each other, lances poised to strike. 

 

Although Lily had seen the tournament so many times before, she couldn’t help but get excited as the metal from lances and shields clanged and a rider was unhorsed. The victor sent a wave to the spectators, and undoubtedly to a maiden in the stands, before turning his horse around and exiting the grounds for the next two riders. And so it went for the first few riders, but other than the couple of injured riders there was nothing extraordinary. Then the herald announced the next riders and the excitement in the stands rose. Even Lily’s father rose along with the crowds to cheer for one of the riders. 

 

Lily couldn’t hear the announcement, but she recognised the coat of arms of one of the competitors – it was the Lord of Oldham, Sirius Black. The women in the stands seemed to be all but swooning at the sight, although no one could see the young man as he was so completely clad in armour. Lily had seen him in action before and knew he was certainly one to be watched and watch out for and she thanked her lucky stars that Augustus didn’t have to face him in the joust. And the young Lord certainly lived up to her expectations. He and his horse raced through the ground as though they were one. Looking for all the world as if he were out for a midnight ride in the woods, he hit his lance square in the middle of his opponent’s shield, effectively knocking him off his horse, and breaking his own lance, in one clean blow. At this, Lily rose along with the crowd to cheer and congratulate the young rider for his win, greatly impressed by his skills.

 

After acknowledging his win and waving to the audience, the Lord of Oldham left the grounds and the next riders entered. One of them bore a Coat of arms that Lily was able to recognise – it was a mix of the Evans and Dawson coat of arms – It was Nicholas Dawson, one of their riders. She remained standing, along with her mother and father and the other staff from the household, to show her support for him. He bowed and, at the signal, raced along the ground steadily towards his opponent. Just like the Lord of Oldham, he was able to knock off his opponent in one clean hit, albeit without breaking his lance like the Lord had done, but a win was a win. Lily and her family cheered him on along with the crowd as he took his last bows and exited.

 

The Evans rider was followed by two newcomers into the tournaments. Their match left one man severely injured and one three-legged horse. Some of the onlookers laughed but Lily felt appalled – if they didn’t know how to use their lances they shouldn’t have entered the competition in the first place! After all, they couldn’t have possibly thought they could win, with horsemanship like that and hardly enough strength to even hold their lances upright! 

 

 

Her bad mood was made even worse when she saw that the other Evans rider was entering the grounds. Although Augustus’ face was completely covered by his helmet, Lily fancied that she could almost tell how he felt just by watching his movements on the horse. He seemed to be shifting the lance in his hand every so often but otherwise seemed quite comfortable, so she guessed he was a little tense but knew there was no reason to be. He looked around in the crowds, trying to spot the Evans but it was impossible, so he bowed and took his position. Once the start was signalled, he let the horse work up into a gallop and aimed his lance right at his opponent. At the last moment, his challenger seemed to lose his nerve and somehow managed to drop his lance altogether. All in all, it was a pretty easy win for Augustus – at least comparatively.

 

Mr. Evans and Lily had expected him to win, but a win this easy surprised even them. Lily supposed it was lucky for everyone that Augustus looked so fearsome on his horse, dressed in his rather imposing red and white armour.

The next matches went by in a blur without any more incidents until it was the last match of the competition. Traditionally, the last match was always played by the Prince…and another rider unlucky enough to have been paired with him. Also traditionally, the Prince almost always won (mostly he won from his own merit, but sometimes, rumour had it, the Prince’s opponent would be…coaxed into losing) and won with ease. This year was to be no different – the Prince managed to unhorse his opponent looking like he could do it blindfolded and with one hand behind his back.

 

With the Prince’s win, the King rose and once again addressed the assembled, both the riders and the audience, before officially declaring a close to the first component of the tournaments. The crowds withdrew; the family of the fallen riders went to help them while those with the winners left to prepare for the next part of the tournaments. The Evans family and staff also headed off to help and congratulate their riders.

 

 

 

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_(Author's Notes: not gonna bother with the disclaimer anymore...But the fic..._

_K, so, NOT a coincidence that the main characters didn't get paired with each other, because the whole point of this part of the tournament is to eliminate to weaker people, which wouldn't happen if the strong got paired with the strong.... Also, sorry if there are any mistakes (grammatical or otherwise) coz i updated faster than usual and didn't really have much time to check._

_And to my wonderful wonderful reviewers - THANX A LOT GUYS!!!! u ROCK!!!! Keep on reviewing!!!! [er...givin up on findin those cookies :-(]_

_So, review and lemme know if u guys like this or not!!! Enjoy!)_


	5. The Circuit

_(Just wanted to dedicate this to the guy from MCE, don't know u, but u always make my day!)_

 

Both the Evans riders were to be changing their horses for the next part of the tournaments, as using a tired horse would hardly be conventional, and all riders able to afford more than one horse would also be doing the same.

The second element of the tournaments was to be a circuit of sorts, with the first ten riders to plant their banner on the other side would make it through to the last leg of the tournaments. The idea behind this being that only the riders with the most endurance and deliberation, and also the better horses, would be able carry on to the next round, as a rider couldn’t just race through a circuit and hope to make it through – to be able to pass through, a rider would need to be fast and cautious, and obviously skilled. However, this didn’t necessarily work. Most of the poorer rider would almost certainly be eliminated, regardless of their skill, because they would be forced to use the same horse they did for the joust, and the animal would be far too drained to perform its best. 

While Lily had once felt anger at this unfairness, she had grown used to it, knowing she couldn’t change society anyhow. And now she just thought it was all for the better as Augustus would have less competition to worry about out there. But she had no reason to fret, the circuit had always been his strength – he could breeze through it and his spot in the next round was virtually held in reserve.

An hour after the jousting competitions, all the horsemen still in the tournaments assembled at the edge of the woods, ready for the King to signal the start for this next part. Once again, the King addressed the gathered, assumedly wishing them the best for this leg of the tournaments before raising his hand, signalling the start. The riders, about 60 in all, bounded forwards, eager as ever to get a good head start seeing as only the first 10 would be able to make it through to the next part. 

From where Lily and her family were standing in the crowds, Lily was able to see that Augustus had managed to get a very good start, in front of most riders and behind only a few. Nicholas seemed to have gotten an even better head start and was definitely among the first 5 riders. However, once the horsemen had entered the woods, it was impossible to see them and the spectators moved to the other side of the forest, to the finish line. The only news they got of the goings on inside the woods was when a medic would come out with an injured rider and tell them who was winning and who wasn’t. This year, only a couple of riders got injured in the circuit, which was an achievement in and of itself, although it meant that less news of what was happening inside would pass through to the audience.

Jousting was exciting in that the viewers would be able to see what was happening and cheer and make noise for one party or the other. The exciting thing about the circuit was that the spectators had no idea who was doing what and there was mystery in the air until the moment all the 10 riders crossed the finished line. Sometimes, Lily knew, even if a horseman managed to make it into the next part of the tournaments, he would be far too bruised and battered to be able to continue and would have to give away his hard earned place. So it was important for the horseman to try his best, but not so much that he would finish in pieces. 

A few hours later, there was anticipation in the air as hooves could be heard from the woods. The noise, which had been almost non existent until then, reached a point where it was impossible to hear anything else. However, it turned out to be a false alarm as it was just another medic, returning with a rider so bloodied even his coat of arms was too bloody to be recognisable. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife – everyone worrying that it was their rider. The unfortunate man seemed significantly injured but was well enough to be able to salute the King before he was led away, no doubt trying to be chivalrous. 

As the afternoon wore on in wait of the horsemen, everyone started getting anxious. However, finally, hooves, shouts, swords and other sounds that could only be the horsemen could be heard and the anxiety immediately turned into excitement. Soon two riders could be seen, each locked in a race to the finish line and trying all they legally could to make the other fall behind. It was most spectacular, the two men rode and duelled at the same time in perfect coordination, and yet none could possibly be called better than the other. As the men came nearer, Lily was able to recognise their Coat of Arms. It was the Prince and the Lord of Oldham. Their duel continued right until just before the finishing line, which the Prince appeared to cross first, if by less than even a second. 

The crowds cheered and cheered, excited because of the duel between the Prince and his best friend. After that, it was only a matter of minutes before more hooves could be heard and some of the other horsemen came into view. Soon both the Evans riders could be seen racing towards the finish line, locked in battle with some of the other riders. They fought together and before long unhorsed one of their opponents and crossed the line soon after. The whole Evans household was on its feet and cheering for their horsemen who had once again made it through to the semi finals of the tournament. In the next couple of minutes or so the first ten riders had all crossed the finish line and the excitement died down significantly until only those with the remaining horsemen were the only ones that remained to wait for them.

The winners’ friends and families were heading off to check on their horsemen to see how badly the circuit had left them. Both Augustus and Nicholas seemed to be relatively uninjured and didn’t require much attention. So after taking proper care of the horses and the weapons and armour, the Evans household, including the two riders, left to rest and recuperate before the third and final part of the tournaments started.

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_(Author's Note: Next part is the final of the tournaments and we'll find out the result of the bet..._

_And, sorry to say, this isn't very long either. BUT i tried! I just suck at writing big chapters. Also, just wanted to clear up that there IS magic in the fic, it'll come in later on._

_AND NOW, I'd like to thank vodkaholic for always reviewing!! Thanx a lot!!! n waiting for more reviews ppl!)_


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